WestJet Adds Temporary Fuel Fee to Companion Voucher Bookings

Fuel prices are rising, so WestJet is adding a fee.

WestJet is adding a $60 fee to companion voucher bookings due to high fuel prices.

The companion voucher program is for WestJet RBC Mastercard holders to bring a second passenger at a lower fare.

The fee is temporary and starts on April 8. Bookings before then won't be affected. The fee will help WestJet deal with high fuel costs.

The fee will stay until fuel prices go back to normal, WestJet said.

The fee is because of the Middle East conflict, which is making fuel prices rise, a WestJet spokesperson said.

Fuel is a big part of an airline's costs, so the fee will help WestJet manage high fuel prices.

Airfares can change, but companion vouchers can't, so WestJet needs the fee.

WestJet is also changing its flight schedule to deal with high fuel costs.

The airline is combining flights on less busy routes and changing seasonal flight times.

WestJet reduced flights by 1% in April and 3% in May. Most affected passengers were given new flights on the same day.

The Iran war is making airfares rise as fuel prices go up.

Professor Wayne Smith said WestJet and other Canadian airlines are trying to cover their costs due to the fuel shortage.

People don't realize how much fuel planes use, Professor Smith said.

Filling a plane with fuel is not like filling a car, it's thousands of liters. Planes use a lot of fuel to fly.

For example, a Boeing 787-9 flight from Vancouver to Hong Kong cost $71,485 in fuel in late February.

In mid-March, the fuel cost for that flight was $110,171, a $40,000 increase. As fuel prices rise, airlines have no choice but to add fees.

More surcharges might come, and with WestJet's flight changes, passengers can expect fuller planes.

There's a joke that making a billionaire a millionaire is by buying an airline, Professor Smith said. Airlines are trying to survive with these fees.

The airline business is hard to make money in. These fees and changes are necessary for airlines to survive. Baggage fees might also rise.

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